on jeans and a heavy knit sweater, ran a comb through her damp hair and walked downstairs in search of her shoes and socks. The minute she switched on the downstairs lights, Pete knocked on the door, then stuck his head in.
"You awake?"
Jo laughed at the ridiculous question. "As if anyone could sleep with all that racket you were making. What on earth were you doing?"
"Starting on the porch."
"In the dark?"
"I could see well enough." He surveyed her, then grinned. "You're not much of a morning person, are you?"
"I am when I have to be."
He dangled a bag in front of her. "Will this help?"
She sniffed and immediately smelled the heavenly aroma of sugar and blueberries. "Oh, my God," she said, snatching the bag away from him and burying her face inside. "I can't believe the bakery is still making these."
"Yes, and they're fresh from the oven. I stopped by on my way over here and wheedled a few out of Helen. She remembered how you loved them."
97 97
"You're a saint."
"Hardly, but am I at least forgiven for dragging you out of bed?"
"That depends." She peered inside the bag again and counted. "A half dozen," she said with a blissful sigh. "You're definitely forgiven." She grinned at him. "For waking me, anyway."
"You gonna share?"
"Do I have to?"
Pete chuckled. "No, but it's a darn good thing I bought a couple for myself."
She took out the first one, slowly savored the aroma of sugar and blueberries, then bit into it. The sugar rush went straight to her brain. She'd never tasted anything quite like these and she'd been looking for years.
"Oh, my," she murmured after the first bite. "These are heaven."
"Does your sister the gourmet chef know that the only food you really crave in life is a blueberry doughnut?"
Jo nodded. "It pains her greatly. She even tried to learn to make them, but good as she is, hers never measured up. How did Helen remember that I love these? It's been years since I've been in there."
"Hey," he protested. "Don't I get some of the credit?"
She chuckled. "Yes. I thought I'd already praised you. How did you remember that this was ray favorite breakfast in the whole world?"
"You'd be surprised at the things I remember," he said in a way that made her heart skitter crazily.
It was way too early in the morning to go there. "Pete, don't say things like that," she pleaded, as if that would stop the sizzle in the air between them.
98 98FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
"Why not? It's true. I remember everything about that summer." He stepped closer and gazed into her eyes. "I remember the way you looked first thing in the morning, all dewy-eyed and fresh. You were no better at crawling out of bed early back then, either." He touched a finger to her lips. "And I remember how your lips tasted of blueberries and sugar. I was addicted to that taste for years. Couldn't get it out of my head, but just eating doughnuts wasn't enough. I kept telling Helen she was leaving something out, till I realized that what I needed was you. You were the missing ingredient."
He touched his mouth to hers and skimmed his tongue along the seam. Jo felt the earth shift beneath her feet.
"Pete," she protested, but without much energy.
"What, Jo?"
"We can't go back," she whispered, even though she couldn't seem to tear her gaze away. "Too much has happened. And if we dredge it all up, it'll make it impossible for me to work with you."
"So we should pretend it never happened?" he asked incredulously.
She drew in a deep breath and said firmly, "I think that's best."
"I think it's impossible."
So did she, if she were being honest. She'd just planned to push down the old feelings in the vague hope that all the new ones would vanish as well. Her reaction to this morning's treat proved that old and new were bound to be all tangled together.
"How about a compromise? I won't talk about the past if you won't," she said. "We don't have to pretend
99 !
SHERRYL WOODS99
it didn't happen. We just won't talk it to death. We pretty well
"You awake?"
Jo laughed at the ridiculous question. "As if anyone could sleep with all that racket you were making. What on earth were you doing?"
"Starting on the porch."
"In the dark?"
"I could see well enough." He surveyed her, then grinned. "You're not much of a morning person, are you?"
"I am when I have to be."
He dangled a bag in front of her. "Will this help?"
She sniffed and immediately smelled the heavenly aroma of sugar and blueberries. "Oh, my God," she said, snatching the bag away from him and burying her face inside. "I can't believe the bakery is still making these."
"Yes, and they're fresh from the oven. I stopped by on my way over here and wheedled a few out of Helen. She remembered how you loved them."
97 97
"You're a saint."
"Hardly, but am I at least forgiven for dragging you out of bed?"
"That depends." She peered inside the bag again and counted. "A half dozen," she said with a blissful sigh. "You're definitely forgiven." She grinned at him. "For waking me, anyway."
"You gonna share?"
"Do I have to?"
Pete chuckled. "No, but it's a darn good thing I bought a couple for myself."
She took out the first one, slowly savored the aroma of sugar and blueberries, then bit into it. The sugar rush went straight to her brain. She'd never tasted anything quite like these and she'd been looking for years.
"Oh, my," she murmured after the first bite. "These are heaven."
"Does your sister the gourmet chef know that the only food you really crave in life is a blueberry doughnut?"
Jo nodded. "It pains her greatly. She even tried to learn to make them, but good as she is, hers never measured up. How did Helen remember that I love these? It's been years since I've been in there."
"Hey," he protested. "Don't I get some of the credit?"
She chuckled. "Yes. I thought I'd already praised you. How did you remember that this was ray favorite breakfast in the whole world?"
"You'd be surprised at the things I remember," he said in a way that made her heart skitter crazily.
It was way too early in the morning to go there. "Pete, don't say things like that," she pleaded, as if that would stop the sizzle in the air between them.
98 98FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
"Why not? It's true. I remember everything about that summer." He stepped closer and gazed into her eyes. "I remember the way you looked first thing in the morning, all dewy-eyed and fresh. You were no better at crawling out of bed early back then, either." He touched a finger to her lips. "And I remember how your lips tasted of blueberries and sugar. I was addicted to that taste for years. Couldn't get it out of my head, but just eating doughnuts wasn't enough. I kept telling Helen she was leaving something out, till I realized that what I needed was you. You were the missing ingredient."
He touched his mouth to hers and skimmed his tongue along the seam. Jo felt the earth shift beneath her feet.
"Pete," she protested, but without much energy.
"What, Jo?"
"We can't go back," she whispered, even though she couldn't seem to tear her gaze away. "Too much has happened. And if we dredge it all up, it'll make it impossible for me to work with you."
"So we should pretend it never happened?" he asked incredulously.
She drew in a deep breath and said firmly, "I think that's best."
"I think it's impossible."
So did she, if she were being honest. She'd just planned to push down the old feelings in the vague hope that all the new ones would vanish as well. Her reaction to this morning's treat proved that old and new were bound to be all tangled together.
"How about a compromise? I won't talk about the past if you won't," she said. "We don't have to pretend
99 !
SHERRYL WOODS99
it didn't happen. We just won't talk it to death. We pretty well
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